Travel bucket list idea:
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Los Angeles, California, United States of America (USA)
Saban Building
Photo by Josh White. Courtesy of JW Pictures/Academy Museum Foundation
Last updated: 07 April, 2024
Situated next door to LACMA, the visually striking Renzo Piano-designed museum has been years in the making and finally opened to much fanfare in September 2021, making it the largest in the world solely dedicated to the art of movie-making.
Spread across four floors of gallery space, including a 1,000-seat theatre space in its famous glassy dome, it’s filled with cinematic treasures, from Dorothy’s ruby red slippers and the Rosebud sled from Citizen Kane to the sole surviving shark from Jaws. There’s also an experience dedicated to the Oscars, where you get the chance to hold one of the coveted golden statuettes.
Don’t miss
Don’t miss the enormous painted Mount Rushmore backdrop from the climax of Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, which requires a two-storey gallery in order to properly display it.
Logistics
Price from: £22
Minimum age: 0
Age suitable: 8+
When: All year around
Getting there & doing it
The museum is located in the city’s Miracle Mile neighbourhood and is nestled between LACMA and the Peterson Automotive Museum, about a 15-minute drive from Hollywood Boulevard.
Timed tickets must be booked in advance via the museum’s website and includes admission to all of the current exhibitions, except for the immersive Oscars Experience installation (additional charge).
When to do it
The museum is open all year round, seven days a week.
